By: Old Sorcery

Date: January 26, 2026

Format used: digital

Rating: 3/5

Not until after I wrote up this review did I come to understand that Old Sorcery’s The Outsider is part of a trilogy that started with the Escapist. Normally, for better critical cohesion I would revisit a trilogy in anticipation of a release if possible, but this time I was blindsided and for that reason a dozen acolytes will be strung up on saint andrew’s crosses in my basement. Rest assured, Orcus the Vile will not make such a mistake again. But now on to the review. The Outsider is distinctly darker than its predecessor, both in terms of art and in terms of subject-matter. Unfortunately, the music itself does not have this same dark edge to it. Rather, the music is simply more sorrowful and atmospheric with the occasional glimpses of insanity through wailing ambient passages and moments of tension that are resolved in the most eerie way possible. The majority of the darkness on this album comes from this dissonance technique and from the themes itself. But you cannot carry musical darkness through imagery alone. It is the exact reason why Death SS is considered child’s play by today’s standards. The album does carry the hallmark of all good dungeon synth – it feels like a desolate melancholic eulogy performed in a dismal dungeon. But fundamentally, the use of guitars that are surprisingly acoustic this time around – as well as the tendency for more mellow sounds – makes the music a little less potent than you would expect.

One thing I should bring up is the individual tracks themselves are usually good enough as shorter numbers, but the 20 minute “Magickal triumph” is to blame for a lot of the album feeling mundane. It drags on for longer than it should have and delivers less inspired music than if we were to combine the other tracks into one song. I understand we say that one track should just be one song – but for the love of the Great Duke Abrasax – don’t be afraid to vary it up. Orcus the Vile would need to cast a spell of temporal warp and only then will the song go at the same level of quality as the others. We could perhaps shorten “Magickal Triumph” or make this work an EP instead of a full length album if need be. However, if you can focus on just this music or use it as study music you absolutely will not be distracted I guarantee you that. Although in the former case, you will need to enter a trance to sustain your focus.